About this event
Pirate: Contemporary Art invites the community to its 42nd Annual Día de los Muertos Celebration on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 5 to 10 p.m., at 7130 W. 16th Ave., Lakewood, CO 80214. The evening features Grupo Huitzilopochtli performing Aztec dance at approximately 7 p.m., piñatas for children and adults, and a candlelight procession. The celebration takes place alongside the 40 West Arts District’s Día de los Muertos Colfax Art Crawl, part of Denver Arts Week’s First Friday festivities. Visitors can explore galleries and studios, experience art honoring Latino and Indigenous storytelling traditions, and contribute a photograph or small keepsake of a loved one to a community ofrenda. Pirate was among the early gathering places that helped establish public Día de los Muertos celebrations in Colorado. A 1984 La Voz Hispana de Colorado article documents a KUVO-produced celebration at Pirate’s former Navajo Street gallery, featuring altars, art, music, dance, and student-made papel picado. Participating artists included Bob Luna, Tony Ortega, Jerry de la Cruz, Daniel Salazar, Carlos Sandoval, and others who helped lay the groundwork for celebrations now held throughout the region.